A sports car careered through a hedge and over the top of two parked vehicles before smashing into a house near Lowestoft.

The driver of the car was left fighting for his life after the red Audi TT car was left embedded in the side of the home in Carlton Colville for more than eight hours as the emergency services, vehicle recovery teams and structural engineers all worked to free the man and then make the scene safe.

Three people inside the home, in Long Meadow Walk, amazingly escaped unharmed, while the driver, who is in his early 20s, was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge, after suffering serious head injuries.

The driver was named last night as Lewis Richardson, who is believed to be from Carlton Colville.

Neighbours described how they thought there had been a gas explosion, while other witnesses heard a huge bang as they spoke of their shock yesterday.

The drama unfolded about 1.45am as the sports car left the road, hit the pavement and flew through a hedge and fence before going over the top of two parked cars in the driveway to crash into the living room of the home – embedding itself in the front window and brickwork at the side of the property.

Such was the force of the collision that it caused major structural damage to the house, as well as damaging two cars parked on the driveway, another van inside the garage and causing damage to the garage roof.

The front end of the car was wedged in the detached house several feet above the ground, with the back resting on the bonnet of one of the cars in the driveway.

Two adults and a young child live at the house and were believed to be asleep at the time of the crash. They initially left their home amid initial fears of a gas leak.

Last night, a police spokesman said that the family would not return to the property until it was made safe.

Police, firefighters and the East of England Ambulance Service were called to the scene, with crews from Lowestoft South fire station arriving at the property by 1.52am.

On arrival they found one person trapped with a possible gas leak from the house, and the road was closed as the driver was rescued.

Visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk to see video from the scene.